As always, I caution you about not taking "Internet research" too too seriously. Sure they took a big sampling but do the really represent the majority of people who are going to buy this in the long run? My hunch is that Joe Consumer isn;t following too many tech blogs and forums. Saying that, the article does make some pretty valid points.

From the article:

Cymfony looked at 17,664 posts from 323 blogs and discussion boards over the last two months. The majority of posts came from two groups, videophiles and gamers, and were evenly divided between the two technologies. Cymfony found 46 percent more "positive discussions" about HD DVD than about Blu-ray, and also found that few people are talking about Blu-ray's twin advantages of higher storage capacity and increased interaction.

Surprisingly, though, the bad buzz has nothing to do with common arguments about the high cost of the format and the lack of a unified standard for high-definition video. The most common complaint (26 percent) about Blu-ray was a "general dislike" for the format, based (so says Cymfony) on two things: a long history of failed Sony formats (think MiniDisc, Beta, ATRAC) and a perceived arrogance on the part of the company.

About.com's term of the week is Rear-Projection Television. Surprisingly enough, the rear projection TV is the opposite of a front projection display devices. Now that you have gotten over the shock, head on over to About.com for the full scoop on rear projection TV's.

From the article:

Rear-Projection Television refers to a television in which the image is projected and reflected onto the screen from behind the screen, unlike traditional video and film projection in which the projector itself is placed in front of the screen, such as in a movie theater.There are five basic elements in the construction of a rear-projection television.

The AVR21EN from Audio Access goes a little bit beyond the traditional multiroom audio system. It takes a well stacked receiver and adds whole house expansion capabilities through the KP21 amplified display keypad and AVH21 A/V Hub. The unit is able to control up to six external sources, two AM/FM tuners, sat radio and of course iPod integration.

From the article:

- On-screen programming for all AVR and whole-house functions
- Six dedicated IR outputs with built-in IR library and front-panel IR learning
- Three RS-232 source interface ports
- Six "Flag In" source status ports
- One 12-volt trigger output
- One RS-232 port for control of AVR functions and programming upgrades
- One external IR receiver input and loopthrough output
- Connect an iPod to the AVR21EN using the Audioacccess aDock
- Six composite multiroom video outputs from Source video inputs to AVH21
- Two multiroom digital audio bus outputs stream eight digital audio sources and two-way control signals
- Surround modes include: Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro LogicII, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Headphone, DTS, DTS Neo:6, Logic 7 and more
- EzSet/EQ; includes microphone
- DCDi by Faroudja upconverter scales all inputs to 1080i via HDMI output and 480P via component output
- Two AM/FM tuners
- System supports up to 20 remote zones with the KP21 amplified display keypad and AVH21 A/V Hub

Would you spend $200 extra for a remote that can control your lights? That's the question Monster is hoping you'll say yes to. It's a slightly redesigned Harmony 890 remote, with some home automation (ok, just lights) thrown in. It's cool for sure, but are you gonna drop $600 on this? 

A brand new plasma (or LCD if that's your thing) hanging on the way with no AV equipment in sight. In fact, your entire collection is hidden away in a former linen closet your stole from the wife. But yet when you hit "watch TV" on the remote, everything clicks on just like they were in front of you. The equipment is safe and sound behind closed doors but it operates just like if it was right in plain view. Thanks to the AVL 300 use of Z-Wave wireless technology, this image could be your house.

Read the rest at Engadget. 

Great news for all you Mac or Linux users, the DRM for the TiVToGo has been cracked. So that's the good news, and there's even a tool for it. Now, the bad news, it's a command-line interface, so hope you've been practicing. But I wouldn't worry, this seems useful enough that almost certain a programmer will see the need & develop a GUI for ya.

It's a little complicated to explain how this hack works in a brief couple of sentences, but the bottom line is that a new software application for Linux and Mac PCs called TiVoDecode can take a .TiVo file and create an unencrypted MPEG-2 file using your TiVo's Media Access Key

Read the rest at eHomeUpgrade. 

Due to the recent management change at Sony, there has been a few rumours flying around saying that a PS4 will never hit the streets. Sony was quick to dispel this with a statement today. 

From the article:

While that's mildly amusing, Holman also discussed some of the updates to the PS3 in the next few years, including additional media center capabilities that should help the PS3 compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Speaking of Sony products, the company is saying that electronics sales so far this holiday season are "better than expected," reports Reuters.